The Dance
by Silent Cobra
Summary: Severus remembers a lesson he learned. That life is like a dance, and you have to take it as it comes, because the music will end. Please R


AN:  HP characters are property of JK Rowling and not me.  The Dance is property of Garth Brooks and used w/o permission.  The 'Boat song' that is sung by Hermione is from the game Lunar, and was not used with permission.  Anything between ~ word~ is a flashback, okay? Please R&R

Looking back on the memory of   
The dance we shared 'neath the stars alone   
For a moment all the world was right   
How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye

Severus Snape walked slowly down the hallway, oblivious to the sounds around him.  He wanted peace, and quiet, but he wouldn't find it.  Not here.  He shoved his way past a group of Ravenclaw first years and continued stoically down the passage.

Stairs, why did this place have to have so many bloody stairs?  He trudged up them, the despair he was feeling growing with each step.

How could it be?  Why him?  Why did this happen to him all the damn time?  He gave a muffled yell out of pent frustration and ignored the looks given to him.

More stairs.  Damn it.  He walked up the stairs, to the tower.  Professor Sinistra stared at him.

"Up here again, Severus?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Just lock the door when you're finished."  He nodded and slipped into the astronomy tower.  He went up some more stairs (by this time, he was quite sick of them) and went out onto the terrace.  He leaned against the wall and stared into the swirling snow.

"Hermione…"

_He walked up the stairs to the Astronomy tower.  He liked going there to think.  It was always quiet.  He opened the door and froze._

_"Wishing on a dream that seems, far off, Hoping it will come today…"_

_He watched silently.  Hermione Granger was dancing alone on the terrace, singing a song._

_"Into the starlight night, foolish dreamers turn their gaze, waiting on a shooting star…"_

_He took another step forward.  She was so beautiful.  Moonlight seemed to dance around her._

_"But, what if that star is not to come?  Will their dreams fade to nothing?  When the horizon darkens most, we all need, to believe there is hope!"  He was almost in the moonlight.  He was debating with himself whether or not he wanted to be seen._

_"Is an Angel watching closely over me?  Can there be a guiding light I've yet to see?  I know, my heart, should guide me but, there's a hole within my soul!"  She was spinning, dancing with an imaginary partner._

_"Miss Granger?"  She screeched to a stop and stared at him, open mouthed.  "What are you doing?"_

_"Dancing, sir."___

_"Dancing…why not with Potter or Weasly?"_

_"They don't know how to dance." She said peevishly._

_"Do you come up here often?"_

_"Not as often as I'd like to, sir."_

_"Severus."_

_"What?"_

_"Call me Severus."_

_"Yes...Severus…"_

_ He looked at her again.  "Do you like to dance?"_

_"Very much so, but no one in this school enjoys it."_

_"You shouldn't make assumptions, Hermione.  I can call you Hermione?"_

_"Yes, you may."_

_"Good."  He waved his wand, and a waltz began.  Her eyes widened in shock.  He walked up to her and held out his hand. _

_"May I have this dance?"_

_She took his hand and they began to dance on the terrace.  Silently, he held her.  Her eyes were closed in enjoyment._

_"Hermione…why do you like to dance?"_

_"I believe life is like a dance, and you have to take each day as it comes, because even if we don't like it, the music always stops.  And we may be sad, but there's nothing we can do.  I want to learn as much as I can now so I can live the dance of life."_

_"Very philosophical."__ Severus said with a brief smile._

_"Why do you like dancing, Severus?" She asked timidly, she wasn't really expecting an answer. _

_"Dancing is an art, much like potions.  You must be precise, and know what you are doing before you are able to do it right.  That is one of many reasons, Hermione."_

_She nodded and rested her head against his chest.  She listened to the sound of his heart beating.  She was nodding off.  It was so peaceful on the terrace, being held by Severus.  A wicked grin spread over her face._

_"What are you grinning about?"_

_"Just thinking about what Harry and Ron are gonna say when they find out I've been dancing with, and I quote, 'The scary old Potions Master!'"_  They both laughed softly.  The music continued on, lightly serenading.  __

_It came to a slow, mournful stop.  They stared at each other, so close, and yet so far from each other.  Severus leaned down, his lips brushed hers softly.  Hermione stood rooted to the spot.  _

_Bravely, she stood on tiptoe and returned the kiss.  Severus sighed…it had only taken him 6 1/2 years to realize that he loved her…_

And now I'm glad I didn't know   
The way it all would end the way it all would go

Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain   
But I'd of had to miss the dance

Severus snapped out of his memories.  There really was no use dwelling on the past.  It was gone, poof, no more.  He spun on his heel and left the terrace behind.  The door locked automatically as he stormed by.

Stairs, always stairs.  He stormed down them and returned to the hallway.  He brushed angrily by a group of Slytherin 4th years, didn't give detention to Ravenclaw 2nd years attempting to curse each other, didn't take yell at the Hufflepuff girls drooling over Draco, and didn't take points away from Gryffindor for glaring at him.  He was a very distracted man.

  He walked down another flight of stairs and ran smack into Harry Potter.  He walked around him.

"Sorry Potter."  Harry, Ron, and Ginny stared open mouthed at the retreating professor.

"Whoa…must have gotten to him more than we thought." Ron whispered viscously. 

"Hermione said they loved each other, who are we to judge?" Ginny whispered in reply.  "How would you feel if your lover died?"

"Thanks to Snape, I've got no lover!" Ron snapped.

"Oh, shut up Ron." Harry cursed.  "Can't you get past your jealously for a moment?  It's not their fault.  Love just sort of happens.  So take a chill pill and stuff it."

"Thank you Harry." Ginny said.  Harry just nodded in response.

Severus continued down until he got to his private quarters.  He flung the cloak in the corner and flopped onto the bed.  The cold ceiling glared back at him.  His eyes drifted shut, and he was lost to the memories.

Holding you I held everything   
For a moment wasn't I a king   
But if I'd only known how the king would fall   
Hey who's to say you know I might have chanced it all   
  


_He sighed deeply, inhaling her scent.  She lay next to him, her arms flung carelessly about his waist.  He pulled her closer._

_She woke and smiled at him.  "Morning…"_

_"Morning."__ He leaned over and kissed her lightly, just a brush of lips.  She smiled and buried her fast in his chest._

_"Don't you feel like a king?"_

_"Only when I hold you, Hermione."__  He felt her smile into his chest._

_"Have you told anyone yet?" he whispered into her hair._

_"Only Ginny."___

_Severus smiled.  "And what did Miss Weasly say?"_

_Hermione laughed softly.  "After falling out of her bed and staring at me in shock, she said Ron was going to have a fit."_

_"And what did you say?"_

_"That I love you and Ron could stuff himself."  Hermione muttered.  _

_Severus grinned.  "Oh, I would do just about anything to see Weasly's face when he found out."_

   _"It was quite humorous.  Of course, he won't talk to me now, but anyway."  She rolled and looked at the clock._

_"Bloody Hell!"__  She rolled out of bed and started to look around._

_"What…oh…damn it!"  Severus followed.  Classes started in ten minutes._

_"I can't find my shirt!" Hermione yelled._

_"Here!  Just wear this for now!" Severus tossed her one of his white billowy shirts._

_"Oh yes, Professor McGonagall, this is Professor Snape's shirt.  I just loved it so much I decided to steal it and make it my own!"  She giggled hysterically.  The thought of what the strict professor would say when she saw Hermione in Snape's shirt was just hilarious._

_She buttoned it up and fastened her cloak hastily.  She bounded for the door.  "See ya at lunch!"_

_"Wait!"  He grabbed her and spun her around.  They kissed quickly._

_"Thanks for the shirt."  She turned and ran up the stairs.  She had to make it all the way to the Transfiguration room in 3 minutes._

Severus stared at the potion before him.  He hadn't even realized that he had taken it out.  It was a forbidden potion.  The potion of Eternal Sleep.  

"Why?"  He whispered, why did it have to happen?  Why did Weasly have to stick his overly dirty nose in everything Hermione did?  

"Why, DAMN IT, WHY?!"  He screamed, pounding his fists against the bricks.

"Severus."

"Go away Albus."

"It wasn't your fault, you know."

Severus spun.  "The hell it wasn't!  She trusted me!"

"Why do you have this potion out?"

"I don't know." He snapped bitterly.  "Leave me."

"Don't do anything foolish, Severus."

"You say it like I've never done anything foolish in the past."

_His eyes found hers.  She smiled softly at him as she brewed her potion.  Draco was being a loudmouth again, big surprise there._

_"Malfoy, I'm trying to concentrate, and I find it difficult with your overly large mouth blabbing a mile a minute.  10 points from Slytherin."_

_That shut them up.  But now Weasly was acting up, shoving the loss of points right back in Draco's face._

_"Ron!  Shut up will you?" Hermione snapped.  The entire class froze, staring at the normally reserved Hermione Granger._

_"God Hermione, you're such a bore these days, ever since you started sleeping with-" He was cut off as Hermione slapped him._

_"Gee Granger, now he's pricked my interest, just who are you sleeping with?" Draco asked._

_"None of your fucking business Malfoy!"___

_"Miss Granger!  My office, please."  She slammed her textbook closed and followed Severus into his office._

_"Hermione…I'm…well, shocked, to be frank about it."_

_She looked at him.  "I'm sorry…if the other teachers found out, they would fire you and expel me…I don't want you to lose your job, I'm not worth that much."_

_"Like hell you aren't.  You are worth a lot to me, and just because you have one day when Weasly gets under your skin, doesn't mean a damn thing.  Go back out there and show him who is boss."_

_He smiled warmly at her.  "At least they haven't noticed my shirt."_

_She grinned ruefully and wiped the tears out of her eyes._

_"Thank you Severus."  She brushed his lips with her fingertips.  "I love you."_

_"Love you too, Hermione."_

_They walked out.  Hermione looked slightly miffed, but not as though she had just slapped one of her best friends then spun right back around and cussed in Malfoy's face._

_She continued working on the potion.  It was a deadly 'Killing Drought'.  It would cause the person's body to, in essence, dry out.  All body fluids would be removed.  There was no antidote._

_Hermione added the last bit of snake skin and stepped back.  Something was wrong, horribly wrong.  The potion turned a dark red.  She stood frozen in fear._

_"Severus-"She was cut off as the potion exploded in her face._

_"Hermione!"__ Harry yelled._

_"Back off!  EVERYONE SHUT UP AND MOVE BACK!!!" Snape screamed.  Everyone jumped backwards, staring at the horror on the floor._

_She was twisting in great pain.  Severus carefully picked undid his cloak and wrapped it around her.  He picked her up and stood._

_"No one touches it, in fact, everyone, come with me."_

_The entire class followed the Professor silently up the stairs to the hospital wing._

_"Poppy!"  She came bustling out.  As soon as she saw Hermione, her face paled._

_"Everyone but Severus, out, in the hall, wait there."  Severus set Hermione down on the bed and stared, horror stricken._

_"What was it Severus?" Poppy asked quietly._

_"Killing Drought."__ He said, his voice choked up.  "Shit."_

_She tried everything.  She shook her head and stood up._

_"I'm so sorry Severus; I'll go tell the others…"_

_ He nodded silently, not heeding the tears rolling down his cheeks.  They struck Hermione's face._

_"Oh God, I'm so sorry Hermione," She looked at him and tried to smile. She was dying right in front of him._

_"I love you, Severus…"_

_"I love you Hermione…Don't leave…please…"  He felt a sob rise in his chest.  He attempted to choke it back, not wanting her to see. _

_She reached out and touched his cheek.  "I'll see you around…Severus…"_

_"See you…Hermione…"  She closed her eyes.  He could see her heart trying to beat, but there was no blood to beat through her.  _

_Thump._

_Thump._

_There was a long pause between beats._

_Thump._

_Then nothing.__  Hermione was dead.  Severus put his head in his hands, and cried like he had never done before._

He stared at the potion before him.  He knew what had happened.  To get back at her for slapping him, Weasly had already added the snakeskin, and too much snakeskin caused the potion to explode.

He wanted to kill Weasly, but all he got was a long detention.  The potion danced invitingly in front of him.

One drink and he could be with Hermione again.  He reached forward and grabbed the goblet.  He raised it in a silent toast, a toast to death.

He raised the goblet to his lips and drank.  His hand slipped to his side.  

The Goblet clattered on the floor.

And then…there was nothing.

And now, I'm glad I didn't know

The way it all would end

The way it all would go

My life, is better left in chance

I could have missed the pain

But I'd of had to miss

The Dance

La Fin

AN 2: I hope you all enjoyed this, the idea just popped into my head one day.  So anyway, got to start working on Heaven's Ghost again.  This was just a nifty one shot.  

Cheerio!

Snake


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